Homeschooling High School

From time to time, I am asked to help on the phones answering customer's questions. Sometimes the mom of a student just entering high school will call. High school often fills a mom with trepidation because not only are you entering the last phase of your homeschooling journey, you must begin documenting more carefully what the student is accomplishing. While each of us who have homeschooled through high school would have unique insights, below is what I typically share that I have learned from homeschooling my children.

The first thing I advise parents to do is to check the website of their local school district or their state Department of Education to determine what the state requirements for graduation are in their respective state. These requirements are set by the state and vary from state to state. We suggest you follow the requirements for your state accruing all the needed high school credits. If your child decides to go to college or vocational school, the admissions department of the school will expect your child to have met the state requirements for graduation. Also, if your child already knows where they want to go, you should check for any institution-specific requirements. For instance, for a degree in engineering, many schools require incoming students to have completed more math than the state graduation requirements.

Once you understand the requirements, you can then plot a roadmap for the four years of high school. You will keep of a record of your student's courses on a transcript. Your transcript can take many forms, but primarily you are crafting a document that will show a post-high-school institution that you met all the state requirements and any institution-specific requirements. It typically should have the name of your school at the top, student information, courses completed during each year, grades attained, and a tally of credits. There are templates on the internet that will give ideas for your transcript. Also, we have a wealth of information on our website on the DECLARE page. This is a page you might have missed, but it does a good job of explaining the scope of high school, as well as providing resources to help you on your journey.

Another decision to be made during high school is whether to take the ACT, SAT, or neither one. At one time, nearly all colleges and universities demanded such a test for entrance, but some colleges have opted to no longer require them. As a very general rule of thumb, universities on the coasts require the SAT and universities in the middle part of the U.S. require the ACT. However, you will need to check the requirements for your prospective school to determine which to take. You should begin early with your study and preparation. Students can often raise their scores by taking the exam more than once.

Regardless if you take one of these tests or not, I do suggest preparing your child for the world of timed tests. As homeschooling families, it is easy to allow your child to complete tests at their own pace, but doing so throughout their education never teaches them to pace themselves when test taking. The standardized ACT and SAT tests are massive and timed. If your student is not prepared to work quickly, they will not be able to finish the test segments. In any event, whatever post homeschooling training or education your child pursues, it will involve timed tests and you should prepare them for that.

Two ways to obtain college credits while in high school is through CLEP tests and dual enrollment. CLEP, which stands for College-Level Examination Program, are tests that a student takes at an examination center and, if they pass, result in college credit being awarded. Again you should check with your prospective school, because some colleges limit the number or credits and courses accepted or have a higher passing score than the CLEP organization. Additionally, many community colleges and some universities offer dual enrollment for high school students at a reduced tuition cost. This essentially involves enrolling in the college class, attending and completing all the work, and receiving credit for the course. You can them count the course for a high school credit on the student's transcript and, in the future, transfer the college credit to your child's school. Both CLEP and dual enrollment credits cost considerably less than full tuition in a college. By utilizing these methods, your child can begin college with a substantial number of credits toward a degree at a fraction of the cost.

Finally, high school is a time of change not only for your student, but for you as well. As your child matures, your role begins to change from being a teacher to being a coach. The high school materials are written to the student because high school is a time when your child should begin to take responsibility for their own education. Your role is to monitor their work, coach them to success, and engage with them as they mature into young adults.

These are just a few of the points that I share with parents of new high school students. High school is a time of rapid maturity and your job as a parent is to help guide your child in the last few years of their homeschool education, help make certain they are ready to face the world, and marvel at the remarkable young men and women they become.